On a cool fall day in 1965, New York Giants left split-end Homer Jones caught a touchdown pass and decided to throw the football down onto the torn up gridiron beneath his gargantuan feet; a post-touchdown move he would name a “spike.” And thus from little acorns did big oaks grow. Jones’ jubilant action would prove to be the catalyst that led to the evolution of modern post-success celebrations.
Professional athletes have revolutionized the entertainment of sports to an extent of uncertainty that keeps us on the edge of our seats with every slam dunk, every eagle putt, every game winning long ball. There are endless possibilities for every commemoration of occasion in the wide world of sports.
There is the fist pump, the pound, the soul shake, the chest bump, the back bump, the butt slap, the dap. We can’t forget the knee slide on a rain soaked English soccer stadium turf with a jersey over the head, the “number one” finger up in the air, the head butt, and of course the classic high five and the parallel low five. The sheer joy of accomplishment in sports brings out these flaunted actions in their rarest forms and variations.
Take the Oakland A’s of the late 1980’s. Mark McGuire and Jose Canseco evolved one of the most historical forms of celebration, which was a gem of the time; the unbelievably macho and powerful forearm bash. McGuire and Canseco were coincidently two of the most famous victims of the steroid era, so they had the forearms to accompany the bash.
Tiger Woods, another controversial but unbelievable athlete, has also worked the crowd with his celebratory antics after moments of consummation. One of his most memorable celebrations was when he made an incredible 60-foot putt at the 2000 Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, in which he shared the glory with most of the fans at the event with his famous powerful upward fist pump.
For an athlete to entertain they must do things out of the ordinary. I’m not saying that all of the things that athletes do to celebrate are always classy and the right thing to do, but they are undeniably amusing and captivate crowds in so many ways. Buffalo Bills wide receiver Terrell Owens knows a bit about the art of celebration and it all started in his days with the San Francisco 49ers. On October, 14 2002 in a Monday night game against the Seattle Seahawks, Owens scored a touchdown and pulled out a black sharpie marker from his sock to sign the ball he caught. He then ran over to the stands and gave his financial advisor the ball. Since that day T.O. has been known as a grade-A entertainer in the NFL (even though it hasn’t helped his game out much in recent years.)
There’s nothing a Green Bay Packers fan loves to see more than a Lambo Leap into the crowd from the frozen tundra. Cavaliers fans drool over Lebron James’s pre-game chalk throwing, and Red Sox fans won’t let you leave a conversation without mentioning Carlton Fisk waving his towering shot that hit the foul pole to win game six of the ’75 World Series. Former Boston Celtic Antoine Walker made the shimmy dance famous. New York Mets’ southpaw Johan Santana even has a personalized handshake for every one of his teammates, and nothing is more classic than Phil Mickelson’s inspirational arms in the air after making a birdie on the 72nd hole to win his third Masters last weekend. It seems to be a fact that each professional sport has several claims to fame when it comes to celebration.
Celebratory gestures aren’t just limited to the pros, as they have most definitely reached the collegiate level. Michigan Wolverine all-purpose player Desmond Howard solidified his place in collegiate flaunt in1991 when he posed as the Heisman Trophy after returning a punt for a touchdown against Ohio State in college football’s most heralded rivalry. The act of taunting in Division I college football will be tolerated no more as it will result in the subtraction of touchdowns starting in the 2011 season, giving schools and student-athletes a one year grace period to get it out of their system.
The premise of sports celebration even translates into America’s office buildings and skyscrapers. If your boy at the firm wins a big case, you give him a pound. If you kill a presentation in front of corporate, you must give a Tiger fist pump or at least give everyone you see a punishing high five while screaming “Woo!” The arenas that sports generated celebrations reach are virtually limitless; they essentially relate to every aspect of life.
The art of the celebration has undoubtedly become a huge part of sports and athletes have become not only physical performers, but entertainers in one of the most amusing industries on the planet. Without celebrations, sports wouldn’t be nearly as fun to watch as they are today. Between chest bumps and butt slaps, and from hive fives to forearm bashes, the afterparty of achievement is reaching living rooms all over the country, one pound at a time.